Charlotte Fallon’s obvious frustration over the treatment of workers in voluntary organisations which provide services in the care sector is understood to be widely shared. Staff believed their grievances were to be addressed in the wake of a deal struck 13 months ago that averted what would have been a hugely disruptive strike.
During Ms Fallon’s exchange with Taoiseach Simon Harris on Friday as he was canvassing in Co Cork, which went viral on social media, she said that Section 39 workers “fought for our money, and we were ignored”.
The section numbers by which such workers are referred – including sections 39, 56 and 10 – refer to the legislative clauses under which organisations provide services to various government departments and agencies in the areas of health and disabilities, homelessness, and families and children.
Her exasperation with the Taoiseach in relation to the issue is understood to be shared too by the organisations that represent employers across the voluntary sector.
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Their chief executives are said to be “extremely disappointed” that a first letter sent to Mr Harris earlier this year highlighting the failure to make progress on addressing funding issues across the health, homelessness, disability and other sectors involved did not receive a response. A second, handed publicly in on October 17th, drew only a two-line note acknowledging its receipt. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions wrote to him about the issues involved this week.
On social media, Kevin Callinan, general secretary of one of the unions that represents workers in the sector, Fórsa, shared a response he received from Mr Harris to a letter in which he said it was “untenable” for the workers to be less well paid than others doing the same work while employed directly by the State.
The Taoiseach pointed to wider increases in spending on services, expressed the hope the situation could be resolved at the WRC and said the Government remained committed to finding a solution.
Both employers and the unions representing thousands of staff involved say they find it perplexing, however, that all three Government parties say they aim to resolve the issues involved if they are elected for another term in power. Yet they have not done so during their current term.
The key issue involved is pay and the difficulty the hundreds of service providers, some of them household names like Enable Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Rehab, have in recruiting and retaining staff. This includes frontline carers and healthcare professionals because comparable roles in the public service, at the HSE for instance, come with better pay and conditions.
Differences in the terms on which the various workers are employed developed as cuts imposed in the wake of the financial crash were not reversed for section 39, section 56 and section 10 workers, as they gradually were to public sector employees.
With the threat of a strike looming a deal in October 2023 provided for pay increases of 8 per cent and committed the Government side to working towards a general restoration of parity. The process since, however, has been difficult and disjointed, with many workers who believed they would receive the 8 per cent being categorised as ineligible.
Many employers experienced significant administrative challenges obtaining the funding required to pay the increases, sometimes finding some of their staff qualified while others did not. They also argued that related increases like PRSI and pension contributions were not always properly covered.
Unions, meanwhile, have been seeking further pay increases comparable to the 9.25 per cent over 2½ years agreed back in January for those in the public sector. They also seek progress on the restoration of links that previously existed with staff directly employed by the State to do comparable work.
Enable Ireland chief executive John O’Sullivan says that as each pay increase agreed under that public sector deal kicks in a gap that had been narrowed by the October 23rd agreement is reopening. “The benefits are being washed away. We are almost back to where we were a year ago. We need to see decisive action taken now.”
There have been many meetings between the two sides, although the most recently scheduled one for the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last Monday was postponed by the Government departments involved.
Talks outside of the WRC are due to take place on Tuesday.
In the meantime Siptu organiser Sharon Cregan says members like Ms Fallon have become disillusioned with the process.
“They have lost faith in the agreement reached with the staff,” she says. “There has been talk of proposals about staged increases and who would be impacted but there are thousands of staff involved and we need to see everybody included. Beyond that we want what was agreed on October 23rd, solid, proactive discussion in alignment.”
She said the dedication of the workers involved was apparent in Ms Fallon’s interaction with the Taoiseach. “You could see how passionate she was but nobody could do this work without being passionate about it.”
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